Police lament Susno’s move on allegedly corrupt officers

I washed them, see?: Former National Police detective chief Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji (right) and Judicial Corruption Task Force member Mas Achmad Santosa brief the media on allegations of case brokering within the police force, at the office of the Presidential Working Unit for Development Monitoring and Control (UKP4) on Thursday. Susno claims police generals were involved in brokering a tax evasion case worth Rp 25 billion. JP/Wendra Ajistyatama

National police spokesman Insp. Gen. Edward Aritonang has called Susno’s motives into question.Edward said Susno had ignored the police’s internal affairs division’s calls to explain the matter.

“An invitation was sent to Susno to clarify his allegations today but he discussed the matter elsewhere. What’s his true motive behind all of these maneuvers?” Edward said in front of a press conference.

Susno met with the task force to reveal what he knew about senior police officers involved in tax evasion and money laundering, which incurred Rp 25 billion (US$2.7 million) in losses to the state.

“This is about judicial corruption so the task force is the most suitable institution to handle it,” Susno said.

Susno’s controversial claim revolves around a top tax official suspected of accepting bribes from several companies he supervised. The official deposited the money in several bank accounts and laundered some of it.

Susno previously identified the tax official only as GT from the tax inspectorate general.When he was still serving as chief detective, police investigators found strong evidence that Gayus’ bank accounts had been laundered in both rupiah and US dollars.

“One laundering case was worth Rp 390 million and I was informed that it would soon go to court.“However, the money deposited in the other accounts, worth Rp 24.7 billion, suddenly fell to almost zero rupiah while investigations were underway,” Susno said.

A few days after being dismissed from his post at the National Police, Susno asked his former subordinates about the investigation’s progress. “I got a startling answer. It had stalled,” he said.

He claimed that he was informed by the Financial Transactions Report and Analysis Center (PPATK) that the money in the accounts had gone to several recipients, including a number of senior police officers.

Edward denied Susno’s accusation, saying the investigation that Susno referred to only found “strong criminal indications” on Rp 395 million of the Rp 24.7 billion.

“We will soon hold a plenary meeting to discuss this,” he told reporters, adding the task force might also summon those who Susno mentioned.

Many see Susno’s testimony as his way to get back at the police after he was dismissed from his post in November last year due to his alleged role in judicial corruption involving businessman Anggodo Widjojo.

Susno was mentioned in a conversation between Anggodo, police officers and prosecutors taped by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Since then, Susno has often demonstrated his defiance. During the recent murder trial of ex-KPK chairman Antasari Azhar, he appeared before the court in uniform, alleging the involvement of National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri in the case.